A New Change, New Life and the Same Story
by filmgeek22
Summary: Nymeria Martell is the youngest daughter to Prince Doran and the younger sister to Princess Arianne of Dorne. Often spending her time in court and with the Tyrells in Highgarden, it is interrupted with news that she is betrothed to Robb Stark, the heir of Winterfell.


Having received a letter from her father, Nymeria Martell was not pleased by the announcement of marrying, Robb Stark, the heir of Winterfell. Nymeria had arrived two nights ago in Highgarden and only spent time with close friend Margaery.

The history between the Martells and Tyrells was a rather open wound that had someone poking at it from all corners. It didn't help that Oberyn injured Willas which made an accident add more fuel to the fire, between two rival houses. It was only border between Dorne and The Reach that caused problems in the first place. But with the meeting between the two young women, they found they had much in common. With personal goals, other than being the typical "Lady" of anything, they had their own rules. The relationship between Nymeria and Margaery only helped mend the rivalry their two houses had.

"My father has lost it! I cannot believe this, Margaery I am to marry to Robb Stark, the heir of Winterfell in the coming days" she said so fast, Margaery was even more worried.

"It's not that bad, I mean you are away from the politics in the south…sorry I know you liked the game, but I heard Robb is very handsome" she said trying to comfort Nymeria. Margaery got up and went to grab wine for her friend and herself.

"I have heard tales of how northern women jump at him, as if wolf's possessed them, but we both come different worlds. Mine is full sun, talk, humor and freedom and his is full of winter, brutish looks and the famous serious Stark trait. They have too much honor and duties" she said looking down.

She thought about the last time a Martell left Dorne. Her aunt, Elia married the last Dragon, only to be betrayed with his love for another and was slaughtered along with her cousins.

Margaery could tell what she was thinking about and for as long as she took after the great Olenna Tyrell, the only other honest person she trusted and treated was Nymeria.

"Don't tell me, you are thinking of your aunt Elia, you are not her and the Starks are nothing like the Targaryens" she said hoping to mend the wounds opening up on the princess.

"You are right, I should be worrying about other things, than thinking about this betrothal. My father says I am to meet with the rest of the riding party, hopefully my uncle, Oberyn does not make such huge matter out of this. At least it's not the Lannisters again.

"You would of been _the _Queen" Margaery said.

"Yes, _the _Queen, but I could not see myself being married to a blond twat like Joffrey, I'm already a Princess it would matter if I married him or not" Nymeria said getting up and smoothing her orange and yellow tinted dress.

"I suppose I should send some of the maids to pack the rest of your belongings and to believe the next time I see you Nymeria, you will be the Lady of Winterfell" Margaery said looking at her in a teasing, almost light matter.

"I suppose so, I just hope for the sake of this relationship, he has personality to him or else I will be left very unsatisfied or worse die of boredom" she said laughing.

Having said her goodbyes to the Tyrells she met with the Martell party of travellers, to her surprise her father and uncle showed. Her father's health was unfortunately waning, but that didn't mean he was less than wise.

"Father, uncle, I am surprised by your appearances, not surprised though of Arianne's lack of showing" she said.

"Your sister is beyond capable of handling the duties at Sunspear, but I however have come to see you off. Oberyn and I just wanted to have a small talk with you and give you this gift" her father said.

"So how did you strike up this betrothal with the Starks? They are so far away and I didn't think a Dornish Princess was of any interest to the Northerners " she asked sitting down on a chair in the open grass.

"Relations between ourselves and the Starks has become strained in the events of your aunt Elia, Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. Lord Eddard Stark and myself think that this marriage would unite are houses." Doran said.

"But not I" Oberyn interrupted "What does a Martell have to do with the Northerners, they know nothing of us or we of them. "They don't even have humor and I know for a fact that my dear niece, would die of boredom or from not smiling" he continued.

"Uncle, I think father is right, imagine our houses have never come together in all these years. The Starks from what I hear are honourable and fair men, nothing like the Targaryens" Nymeria said.

"And by you making assumptions on the Starks that makes you no better than those who think they know our family" she said smirking at him. She then went back to the conversation in hand, wiping off the smirk

"Although this is not the ideal situation for me, I do believe it is better and safer than any other place in the Seven Kingdoms" she continued.

"Well moving forward, Oberyn and I wanted to give you this" Doran said handing over the wedding dress Elia wore when she wed. Nymeria's hand took it slowly from her father and carefully ran her fingers on the yellow and red dark tinted fabric.

"We had it fitted more for you, Elia had a smaller figure to yours, but we accommodated it to you" her father continued.

"Words cannot describe the utter joy I have for this, thank you so much father….uncle" she said.

After bidding her father and uncle goodbye she went back and began her way to the North and as she did, she thought of what Robb was like and whether he even wanted a wife and a Dornish one at that. She always felt like an outsider when she first arrived in King's Landing, everyone looked so different compared to herself, for a moment she felt no confidence, but quickly regained it as she met with King Robert Baratheon and even more with Queen Cersei.

To her, the new environment could be intimidating to anyone that never settled in the North, but she reminded herself that she was a Martell, she had the blood of Nymeria, the Warrior Queen. She also had the blood of a Targaryen running through her. The Water Gardens reminded her of Daenerys, who's portrait hung from the wall. The violet eyes never stopped staring and for only being a painting she felt that those eyes would jump out. She wondered how Maron Martell must of felt when meeting his betrothed.

She wondered if she could stand the cold weather and the dull winter sky, but she nevertheless was fascinated by the North's history. With such figures as the First Men and their relation with the Children of the Forest, Bran the Builder and the Wall, she was glad at least something had caught her interest.

As a child she always loved history and was quick to learn it and that was the major difference between her and Arianne who had other matters of interest. Her relationship with her sister was close and they kept a watchful eye on each other. She learned from her sister greatly, especially of men and how they were, what they wanted, but the most important part she learned was to have confidence no matter what and having the power as equal to any man or more.

She looked up to her sister for that, she wasn't as close to her brothers but nevertheless they were a close family especially compared to the other noble houses. She can see why her father agreed to the betrothal, but Nymeria felt equally terrified at the idea of marriage. To her, marriage never worked. Looking at how her own mother left them as a child, she never sought out the tales that young girls fawned over. The songs hid the pain and the truth. She wished to believe that Robb Stark would be different from the King Roberts of the world or even Rhaegar. No matter how hard Nymeria tries to forget or learn from the past it was like Elia's shadow followed her.


End file.
